The U.S. is not losing the war in Afghanistan in the classic military sense. The U.S., its allies, and Afghan forces still win virtually every direct military encounter. The problem is that this is a political war where the political impact of combat, politics, governance, and economics are far more important than tactical success in directly defeating the enemy. At this level, the insurgents still seem to have significant momentum and are certainly not being decisively defeated. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

As the Republican convention gets underway, more Americans express interest in learning about what’s in the GOP platform than in the speeches by either Mitt Romney or his running mate. About half of the public (52%) is interested in learning about the Republican Party’s platform, while 44% are interested in Romney’s acceptance speech and about the same percentage (46%) in Ryan’s convention speech. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

There is nothing in U.S. emissions or fuel economy regulations that prevents automakers from marketing high-efficiency diesel cars in the United States. Volkswagen and others already offer a few models domestically. To meet U.S. emissions standards, however, automakers have to modify their EU-certified diesel engines. Where a manufacturer sees large demand for diesel vehicles in the United States, it is free to do so. However, the U.S. market for diesels is very small. Most Americans have shunned this technology because of some adverse experiences with diesel engines more than 30 years ago, as the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association noted. Current diesel engine technology has changed markedly since then, but there appears to be a lingering bias against such vehicles by U.S. consumers, reinforced by the fact that, unlike in Europe, in the United States, diesel fuel is more expensive than gasoline.

Leaders in the U.S. government and others around the world increasingly recognize the importance of investing in global health security. Quality public health systems, including effective and adequate laboratories, information systems, and human resources to conduct disease surveillance and epidemiological analyses, and effective response strategies can protect Americans and persons around the world from both predictable and unforeseen emerging health threats that can quickly cross populations and borders. Work by the U.S. and its partners in global health security often draws minimal attention from the general public, especially during lulls in the perceived threat of emerging infectious diseases and man-made pathogens. This can and will change suddenly, when a serious outbreak occurs that triggers intense media attention and an international scramble to mobilize. This cycle makes it difficult to sustain adequate support to accomplish global health security mandates. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

The U.S., with great potential for economic growth, still could rescue the dragging global economy, the country’s energy development, agricultural output, steady labor force, and education programs all offer promise. But the U.S. has immediate challenges, argues Dapice, including rising inequality and high youth unemployment rates. Young workers often bring innovations to workplaces, and without them, quality and skills of the labor force could suffer. Inequality, lopsided government spending and heavy borrowing, and delayed infrastructure maintenance pit rich against poor and young against old. Politicians fail to enact regulations or reforms, spurred by a few wealthy industries and political donors willing to invest millions to pursue their narrow interests, says the author. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

On the eve of the conventions, Barack Obama holds a distinct advantage over Mitt Romney in the way his campaign is using digital technology to communicate directly with voters. The Obama campaign is posting almost four times as much content and is active on nearly twice as many platforms, according to the study. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

Over the past year, increasing attention has focused on the prevalence and growth of income inequality in the United States. While soaring incomes at the top of the income distribution have played a large role in these trends, so too has the failure to ensure that lower-income workers earn a fair wage. [Note: contains copyrighted material].